Package for consumable products with separately sealed compartments
A package for consumable products is disclosed. The package includes a plurality of subpackages connected together by a connecting member. For instance, the package may contain two subpackages or alternatively four subpackages all connected at one end to a connecting member. The package is particularly well suited to holding relatively large quantities of the consumable product. Because the subpackages are connected at one end, the package may be draped over an adjacent structure, such as a shopping cart. In this way, the package can be placed in a shopping cart without taking up an excessive amount of space.
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Many consumable products, such as paper towels, bath tissue, diapers and related products, adult incontinence products, child training pants, feminine hygiene products, and the like are sometimes packaged and sold in relatively large quantities. There are many advantages to consumers for purchasing these types of products in greater amounts. For instance, these types of products are typically consumed rather quickly and having greater amounts reduces the need to return to the store. Another advantage to consumers when buying in relatively large quantities is that the price per unit is typically less than when buying in smaller quantities.
There are also various advantages to manufacturers in the ability to sell their products to consumers in relatively large quantities. In particular, there may be some cost and processing efficiencies in packaging the products into larger packages. Shipping and handling costs may also be reduced.
When sold in bulk, consumable products are typically packaged in large rectangular plastic film bags or are sold in cardboard boxes. Due to the size of these packages, however, the packages can be somewhat difficult for consumers to carry and hold. Also, such large packages can take up great amounts of space in shopping carts limiting the space in the cart for other products. As such, a need currently exists for an improved packaging design for packaging relatively large quantities of consumable products. In particular, a need exists for a bulk-type package for consumable products that is easy for consumers to carry and handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn general, the present disclosure is directed to various packaging configurations for consumable products. The packages are well suited to packaging relatively large quantities of one or more consumable products, although the packages may also work equally well with smaller quantities. In general, the packages include a plurality of separate lobes or subpackages for holding one or more consumable products. A handle may be placed where the subpackages are held together. In this manner, packages can not only hold great quantities of products but are easy to carry and handle.
In one particular embodiment, for instance, the present disclosure is directed to a packaged consumable product comprising an outer package that includes a first subpackage spaced from a second subpackage. The first subpackage is attached to the second subpackage by a connecting member. The connecting member has a width and is made from a material sufficient to permit the first subpackage to fold adjacent to the second subpackage.
A first group of consumable products is contained in the first subpackage and a second group of consumable products is contained in the second subpackage. In addition, the outer package includes a handle for carrying and transporting the packaged product.
In general, the first subpackage may have substantially the same volume as the second subpackage. For instance, the volume of the first subpackage may be within about 20%, such as within about 10%, such as within about 5% of the volume of the second subpackage. Alternatively, when filled with a consumable product, the weight of the first subpackage may be within about 20%, such as about 10%, such as about 5% of the weight of the second subpackage.
The outer package can be made from any suitable material. In one embodiment, for instance, the outer package may be made from a plastic film, a nonwoven web, a coated paper, or mixtures thereof. When using a plastic film, the plastic film may be made from a single polymer layer or may be made from multiple layers of different polymers.
In general, any suitable consumable product may be packaged within the outer package as described above. The consumable products contained in the outer package may comprise, for instance, diapers, training pants, swimming pants, tissue products, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products and the like. Each subpackage may contain the same product or may contain different products.
The handle associated with the package can have many different types of configurations. In one embodiment, for instance, the handle may be integral with the connecting member. For instance, the connecting member may comprise a first opening spaced from a second opening. The first and second openings may cooperate together to form the handle when the first subpackage is folded adjacent to the second subpackage.
Alternatively, the handle may comprise a panel attached to the connecting member that extends in a generally perpendicular direction from the connecting member. The handle may define an opening for receiving the hand of a user.
In still another embodiment, the connecting member comprises a foam substrate that has been laminated to either a film or a textile material. For instance, in one embodiment, the foam may be laminated to a nonwoven material, such as a meltblown web. The foam may define two openings spaced from a fold line. The two openings may cooperate together to form the handle when the foam is folded along the fold lines. Each end of the foam connecting member may be attached to the first and second subpackages in order to form the outer package. For instance, each end of the foam material may be connected to the first and second subpackages through thermal bonding, adhesive bonding, ultrasonic bonding, or the like.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the handle may comprise a band that is connected at each end to the connecting member. In this manner, the band forms a handle that can be grasped by a user.
In order to open the outer package, the outer package may include one or more perforation lines that are designed to be broken open by the user for removing the contents of the package. For example, the outer package includes an exterior surface that defines an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion. The inner surface portion is located between the first and second subpackages when the subpackages are placed adjacent to one another. In one embodiment, vertical perforation lines may be located on the inner surface portion of each subpackage for later opening the package. Alternatively, the perforation line may be horizontal or may comprise a combination of vertical and horizontal lines. Alternatively, vertical and/or horizontal perforation lines may be located on the outer surface portion of the outer package.
In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the subpackages may further include subcompartments. For instance, in one embodiment, the consumable products contained within the package comprise spirally wound tissue products, such as bath tissue or paper towels. The spirally wound products may form columns that comprise one or more of the products stacked together. The subpackages may include subcompartments containing a column of the spirally wound product. Further, each of the subcompartments may be separated by perforation lines for removing one column of product from the package at a time as the product is used by the consumer.
Other features and aspects of the present disclosure are discussed in greater detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSA full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONIt is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention.
In general, the present disclosure is directed to a package for consumable products. In particular, the package is well suited to holding relatively large amounts of a consumable product while still being easy to handle and hold. The package of the present disclosure not only facilitates the ability of consumers to purchase consumable products in large bulk, but also provides a package and shipping solution to manufacturers without substantially increasing the cost of the product.
The package of the present disclosure generally includes a handle connected to a plurality of lobes or subpackages. For instance, the handle may form a bridge between two subpackages or between two pair of subpackages. Each subpackage can contain approximately the same amount of a consumable product or one subpackage may contain a first consumable product while the second subpackage may contain a different consumable product. In one embodiment, the subpackages may only be connected at one end and may generally weigh about the same once filled with a consumable product. In this manner, the subpackages may be draped over an adjacent structure, such as the edge of a shopping cart, for easily transporting the packages while minimizing the amount of space the packages take up in the cart. The ends at which the subpackages are joined can also include a handle for easily grasping, moving and picking up the package.
Referring to
Each subpackage contains a consumable product 20. The consumable product 20 may comprise, for instance, diapers. It should be understood, however, that nearly any consumable product may be contained within the outer package 12. For instance, the outer package may also contain tissue products, such as paper towels, bath tissue, or facial tissue. Alternatively, the package may contain feminine hygiene products, training pants, adult incontinence products, and the like. In still other embodiments, the package may contain auxiliary baby products such as wet wipes, disposable placemats, and other similar items.
Each of the subpackages 14 and 16 may contain the same consumable product or may contain different products. Further, each subpackage may contain a mix of products if desired.
In one embodiment, once filled with one or more consumable products, the subpackages 14 and 16 have substantially the same weight so as to provide a balanced overall package. For instance, the weight of the first subpackage 14 may be within about 20%, such as within about 10%, such as within about 5% of the weight of the second subpackage 16. Similarly, the volume of each subpackage may be substantially the same depending upon the consumable products being packaged. For instance, the volume of the first subpackage 14 may be within about 20%, such as within about 10%, such as within about 5% of the volume of the second subpackage 16.
The outer package 12 may be made from any suitable material. For instance, in one embodiment, the outer package 12 is made from a flexible material, such as a polymer film, a coated paper, or a textile material. The textile material may comprise, for instance, one or more nonwoven webs. For instance, the outer package may be made from a meltblown web or may be made from a laminate comprising spunbond webs, meltblown webs, and mixtures thereof.
In order to carry the packaged product 10, the outer package 12 may include a handle. For example, in one embodiment, the handle may be integral with the connecting member 18. For instance, as shown in
Referring to
Referring back to
The package 12 as illustrated in
In addition to the railing of a grocery cart, the subpackages may be draped over various other adjacent structures and objects. For example, the package may be draped over the bar on a bicycle if desired. The subpackages may also be draped over a person's arm or shoulder in order to carry and transport the package, especially when attempting to carry other items as well.
In the embodiment shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
Referring to
In addition to a foam material, it should be understood that the connecting member in this embodiment can also be made from various other rigid materials. As used herein, a rigid material refers to a material capable of being self supporting and maintaining its' shape under a load, such as the load of the package. Rigid materials as used herein are opposite to flexible materials which refer to materials that may easily deform in shape, such as a polymer film. Other rigid materials that may be used to form the connecting member 18 as shown in
If desired, as shown in
In the embodiment illustrated in
The connecting member 18 as shown in
Referring to
In this embodiment, the outer package 12 includes a first subpackage 14 connected to a second subpackage 16 by a connecting member 18. Integral with the connecting member 18 are a pair of openings 22 and 24 which serve as a handle. In this embodiment, the package 12 contains spirally wound tissue products 20 that may comprise, for instance, either paper towels or bath tissues. The spirally wound products 20 are arranged in columns. Each column may contain one or a plurality of products. In the embodiment shown in
For instance, subpackage 14 includes three subcompartments 40, 42 and 44. Similarly, subpackage 16 contains three subcompartments 46, 48 and 50. In this embodiment, each subcompartment is separated from the other subcompartments by a perforation line 52. In this manner, a consumer can detach one of the subcompartments from the package during use of the product. In this manner, most of the product can remain protected in the package until actually needed by the consumer. It should be understood, however, that the package 12 as shown in
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
Referring to
As shown, the package 12 includes an exterior surface defining an inner surface portion 26 positioned adjacent the subpackages 14 and 16 and an outer surface portion 28. In this embodiment, in order to open the package, the package includes a plurality of perforation lines that are designed to be broken open by the consumer. For instance, in one embodiment, the subpackages may include vertical perforation lines 80 and/or 84 on the outer surface portion 28 of the package. Alternatively, or in addition to the vertical perforation lines, the package may include horizontal perforation lines 82 also on the outer surface portion of the package.
In one embodiment, the perforation lines may be located on the inner surface portion 26 of the package. By being located on the inner surface portion 26, the perforation lines may be protected against accidental rupture. For instance, the package may include vertical perforation lines 86 on the inner surface portion or may include horizontal perforation lines 87. The horizontal perforation line 87 as shown in
In still another embodiment, the package 12 may include perforation lines, such as perforation line 88, located at the end of the subpackages. It should be understood that any such combination of perforation lines may be included on the package to facilitate opening. Further, horizontal and vertical perforation lines may cooperate together on any of the surfaces of the package.
The length of the perforation lines may also vary depending upon the particular application and the location of the perforation line. For instance, in one embodiment, the perforation line may only extend along a portion of the length of the package or of the width of the package. In one particular embodiment as shown in
Referring to
In the embodiment illustrated in
These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention so further described in such appended claims.
Claims
1. A packaged consumable product comprising:
- an outer package comprising a first subpackage spaced from a second subpackage, the first subpackage being attached to the second subpackage by a connecting member, the connecting member having a width and being made from a material sufficient to permit the first subpackage to fold adjacent to the second subpackage; and
- a first group of consumable products contained in the first subpackage and a second group of consumable products contained in the second subpackage.
2. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer package is made from a film.
3. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer package is made from a nonwoven material.
4. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer package is made from a coated paper.
5. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the first group of consumable products comprises diapers, tissue products, adult incontinence products, training pants, disposable swimming pants, or feminine hygiene products.
6. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the first group of consumable products is different from the second group of consumable products.
7. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, further comprising a handle that is integral with the connecting member.
8. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting member comprises a first opening spaced from a second opening, the first and second openings cooperating together to form the handle when the first subpackage is folded adjacent to the second subpackage.
9. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 8, wherein the first opening and the second opening comprise slits, the slits being spaced apart to form a band that serves as the handle when the first subpackage is folded adjacent to the second subpackage.
10. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 8, wherein the connecting member comprises a laminate including a foam material laminated to a film or fabric material, the first and second openings being formed into the laminate.
11. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the first subpackage is only connected to the second subpackage by the connecting member allowing the first and second subpackages to be draped over an adjacent structure.
12. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the first subpackage and the second subpackage each define a first end attached to the connecting member and a second and opposite end, a first panel being attached to the second end of the first subpackage and a second panel being attached to the second end of the second subpackage, the first panel defining a first opening and the second panel defining a second opening, and wherein the first opening on the first panel cooperates with the second opening on the second panel to form the handle when the subpackages are folded adjacent to each other.
13. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 12, further comprising an engaging device for connecting the first panel to the second panel in forming the handle when the first and second subpackages are folded adjacent to each other.
14. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 10, wherein the film or fabric material laminated to the foam material comprises a nonwoven material.
15. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the first subpackage and the second subpackage are each separated into subcompartments.
16. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 15, wherein the consumable products comprise spirally wound tissue products, a column of spirally wound tissue products being contained in each of the subcompartments.
17. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 15, wherein each of the subcompartments are separated by a perforation line.
18. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer package comprises an exterior surface defining an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion, the inner surface portion being located between the first and second subpackages when the subpackages are placed adjacent to one another, the outer package further comprising a first perforation line located on the first subpackage and a second perforation line located on the second subpackage, the first and second vertical perforation lines being located on the inner surface portion of the exterior surface of the package.
19. A packaged consumable product as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer package includes an exterior surface defining an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion, the inner surface portion being located between the first and second subpackages when the subpackages are placed adjacent to one another, the outer package further comprising at least one perforation line located on each of the subpackages, the perforation lines being located on the outer surface portion of the exterior surface for facilitating the opening of the package.
20. A package for holding consumable products comprising:
- a first subpackage spaced from a second subpackage, the first subpackage being attached to the second subpackage by a connecting member, the connecting member having a width and being configured to attach the first subpackage to the second subpackage to permit the first subpackage to fold adjacent to the second subpackage, the first subpackage and the second subpackage being made from a material comprising a polymer film, a nonwoven material, or a coated paper; and
- a handle integral with or attached to the connecting member.
21. A package as defined in claim 20, wherein the first subpackage and the second subpackage are divided into subcompartments.
22. A package as defined in claim 20, wherein the first subpackage has substantially the same volume as the second subpackage.
23. A package as defined in claim 20, wherein the connecting member comprises a first opening spaced from a second opening, the first and second openings cooperating together to form the handle when the first subpackage is folded adjacent to the second subpackage.
24. A package as defined in claim 22, wherein the connecting member comprises a laminate including a foam material laminated to a film or fabric material, the first and second openings being formed into the laminate.
25. A package as defined in claim 20, wherein the handle is integral with the connecting member.
26. A package as defined in claim 20, wherein the first subpackage is only connected to the second subpackage by the connecting member allowing the first and second subpackages to be draped over an adjacent structure.
27. A method for transporting a consumable product comprising:
- providing a first group of consumable products contained in a first subpackage and a second group of consumable products contained in a second subpackage, the first subpackage being attached to the second package by a connecting member, the connecting member being attached to or integral with the first subpackage at a top of the first subpackage and the connecting member being attached to or integral with the second subpackage at a top of the second subpackage; and
- draping the first and second subpackages over an adjacent structure such that the adjacent structure contacts the connecting member and supports the first and second subpackages for transporting the subpackages to a desired location.
28. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the adjacent structure comprises a railing located on a grocery cart.
29. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the adjacent structure comprises a frame on a bicycle.
30. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the first group of consumable products comprises diapers, tissue products, adult incontinence products, training pants, disposable swimming pants, or feminine hygiene products.
31. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the first subpackage and the second subpackage are each separated into subcompartments.
32. A method as defined in claim 31, wherein the consumable products comprise spirally wound tissue products, a column of spirally wound tissue products being contained in each of the subcompartments.
33. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the first subpackage and the second subpackage are made from a material comprising a film, a nonwoven material, or a coated paper.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 15, 2005
Publication Date: Jun 21, 2007
Patent Grant number: 7721887
Applicant:
Inventors: Catherine Hancock-Cooke (Neenah, WI), Jane Clough (Neenah, WI), Timothy Blenke (Neenah, WI), Patrick McNichols (Hortonville, WI), Meewha Lee (Appleton, WI), Pam Thompson (Greenville, WI), Jennifer Marvin (Everett, WA), Thomas Ungpiyakul (Neenah, WI), Sheng-Hsin Hu (Appleton, WI)
Application Number: 11/300,746
International Classification: B32B 27/08 (20060101);